As part of a four-year longitudinal study examining changes in nutrient intakes, eating patterns, lifestyle and health on individuals before and after retirement from work, accurate assessments of customary food and beverage intakes were essential. This paper shows that by using four techniques simultaneously, a number of discrepancies were exposed, even though the subjects had filled in their records meticulously. Together they provide data more truly representative of what each individual eats. The techniques included: a week's weighed dietary record; a recall of customary food and beverages consumed throughout a typical day; key questions relating to foods and drinks (including alcohol) within a general questionnaire; and lists giving the frequency of consumption of specific foods and drinks.